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News Release
July 20, 2006
Boise State College of Engineering Hosts Panel Discussion
Aug. 3 on Recruiting and Retaining Women Engineers
Boise State University’s College of Engineering will host a panel
discussion, “What Women Want: Successfully Recruiting and Retaining Women
Engineers,” from 2-3:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, in Room 106 of the Micron
Engineering Center, 1020 Manitou.
The public is invited to attend the discussion, which will feature regional
engineering leaders in education and in industry. Parking options include
free street spaces, a visitor pay lot adjacent to the Student Union Building
and metered parking. It is presented by the Southwest Idaho Section of the
Society of Women Engineers (SWE) as part of events leading up to the
installation on Aug. 4 of Jude Garzolini, program manager for Hewlett
Packard’s Laserjet printing business, as national president of SWE.
Recruiting and retaining women engineers is an issue that has drawn national
attention. While women now comprise nearly 60 percent of all undergraduate
college students and nearly half of all master’s, doctoral, law and medical
students, they remain underrepresented in engineering and the physical
sciences. Nationally, women earn only 20 percent of all bachelor’s degrees
granted in engineering and physics, according to statistics gathered by the
Society of Women Engineers. In addition, recent studies cited by SWE show
that women engineers leave engineering and related fields at a higher rate
than do their male counterparts.
Garzolini will serve as moderator for the panel discussion on “What Women
Want.” A 19-year employee of HP, Garzolini is currently responsible for
managing research and development, finance, marketing, procurement,
manufacturing, and packaging for key media products supporting the LaserJet
printing business. Fifteen new products have been delivered into the
marketplace under Garzolini’s direction. Panel members include:
— Cheryl Schrader, dean of the College of Engineering at Boise State.
Schrader joined Boise State as dean in 2003 from the University of Texas at
San Antonio, where she was associate dean for graduate studies and research
in the College of Engineering and the College of Sciences and professor of
electrical and computer engineering. Schrader is one of 11 recipients
nationwide of the 2005 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science,
Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.
— Mark Bowen, vice president and area manager of CH2M HILL’s Boise
office. Bowen is responsible for CH2M HILL’s Boise office operations, with
more than $14 million in annual billings and more than 200 consulting staff.
Bowen coordinates services for private- and public-sector clients in water,
wastewater, environmental, transportation, and facilities markets in Idaho,
as well as works closely with project and client service managers to ensure
project quality and client satisfaction is consistently met.
— Linda Thomas, a system safety engineer with Boeing Integrated
Defense Systems in Seattle. In her 20-plus year career at Boeing, Thomas has
worked on missiles, spacecraft, military aircraft, and now commercial
airplanes serving the U.S. government’s executive branch. Her expertise is
the integration of “design for the environment” principles in product
design. She also serves in leadership positions in the Society of Women
Engineers.
— Jeff Peacock, executive vice president with Parametrix, an
employee-owned engineering firm headquartered in the Northwest that employs
450 scientists, engineers and planners. Peacock joined Parametrix in 1990 as
a transportation staff engineer. Peacock oversees company-wide strategic
planning and business development, new office start-ups, and serves as a
client steward for several large client accounts.
— Linda Somerville, manager of Micron Technology’s Fab 4 research and
development process engineering team. The team is responsible for developing
process technology for next-generation NAND Flash and several other products
and parts. Somerville has more than 15 years experience in the semiconductor
industry, primarily in the area of lithography process development. Prior to
joining Micron in 1995, she worked at IBM in Burlington, Vt.
The Southwest Idaho Section of the Society of Women Engineers works to
stimulate women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and
leaders, expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force
in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity.
Members include engineers at BSU, HP, Micron, Parametrix, Idaho Department
of Environmental Quality, TenXsys and other companies. More information is
at http://www.swiswe.org/.
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Contact: Melinda Seevers, College of Engineering, (208) 426-5470,
melindaseevers@boisestate.edu
Media Contact: Janelle Brown, University Communications (208)
426-1790, jbrown2@boisestate.edu
Boise State University is the largest institution of higher
education in Idaho with about 18,600 students and 2,200 faculty and staff.
More than 190 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and technical degrees are
offered within eight colleges. A metropolitan university located in the
capital city, Boise State is committed to life-enhancing research, teaching
excellence and public service.
The Office of Communications and Marketing
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Boise State University
1910 University Drive -
Boise Idaho 83725-1030
Located in Capitol Village, 2225 W. University Drive
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(fax)208-426-4001
email
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Last reviewed on
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
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